What Might Have Been
by MeganBellaRoseBlack
Summary: 'For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: "It might have been!"' Sometimes a small decision by one person can make a huge impact on others, so what if Nelson had allowed Alex to leave the Railway Arms and find her way back to Gene? Now complete.
1. Painful Goodbyes

_For of all sad words of tongue and pen,_

_The saddest are these: "What might have been!"_

The Railway Arms. It wasn't where she had expected the day to end in and it certainly wasn't where she had expected her life to end. So maybe her life had ended in a London hospital with beeping machines and an unattractive hospital gown in 2008. Maybe it had ended on a cold night with an over sized coat on a London street in 1983; these were minor details when compared to the rather large fact that her life had, indeed, ultimately ended.

Her feet led over to the bar in a dreaming state as Alex tried to process everything that had happened outside - Keats. Molly. Gene. Oh god, _Gene. _He would probably still be outside in the bitter cold, staring blankly at the closed bar door knowing him. He'd be deep in thought with the frown line firmly in place between his brows, waiting for her to say she wasn't really leaving him. The thought that he would eventually have to give up waiting and turn his back on the bar only added to her heartache. Molly's scarf absentmindedly ran through her fingers as she found herself standing in front of the bar, concentrating only on the feel the soft fabric slipping over her skin. It was all she had now. The only remnants of the life she had lead with her beautiful daughter in another time and an oh so distant place. But as she watched the material pass through her hands, it began to fade and disappear until Alex clung desperately to nothing but thin air. She should have figured. Keats' last bargaining chip, his last shot at getting her to stay, was never going to stay long. As her hands became empty, Alex felt her heart sink lower than she even thought possible and she realised that she felt nothing but emptiness and hatred for Jim Keats. He was probably out there now, comforting himself with the thought that she'd be clinging to her last piece of Molly, only to see it disintegrate in front of her. Knowing Jim, it would put that twisted smile firmly on his lips. His last twist of the dagger.

Her eyes stayed fixed on her hands where the scarf had been seconds before for what seemed like an eternity and it wasn't until a glass of wine was placed in front of her that she tore her eyes away from her trembling fingers. Nelson. He stood on his side of the bar with a welcoming smile firmly on his face as Alex finally looked up at the barman and sighed heavily.

'Need an ear?' He asked in his London accent. 'I'm quite the listener,' he smiled. It wasn't the first time a customer had come into his bar with the weight of the world on their shoulders and he was sure it wouldn't be the last; he was always there ready to listen. It was what he did. When you signed up to be a barman, you didn't just pour drinks - your customers became your friends and when they had something on their mind, you became the cart that they unloaded their thoughts onto. Alex gave a half hearted smile and took a deep breath as she sunk down onto a bar stool and propped her head up on one elbow, the fingers of her other hand skirting lightly up and down the stem of the wine glass in front of her, but not drinking it.

'How long have you got?' She asked ironically. Nelson laughed lightly and told her he had time enough. Her hand dropped from the glass stem and came down to rest flat against the bar surface and she sighed as finally looked up into Nelson's kindly face. 'I should be happy, shouldn't I?' she told him. She could hear Ray and Chris laughing with old friends in the corner of the bar, clinking glasses together and introduced Shaz. She should be over there with them meeting all the people she had read about in Sam's file. She should be meeting _Sam_ again and telling him that she believed him - She knew his world was real. She had met the people he had described and had been pulled into the insane world they had both thought were in their heads. But instead she had chosen to remain at the bar on her own. Why was that?

'No one 'should' be happy, mon brave. People are happy, or they're not happy. It's up to them. No one 'should' be anything,' Nelson told her. His words seemed to momentarily confuse her, until she just allowed them to wash over her and relaxed into the palm of her hand once more.

'I'm not happy,' she replied quietly after a moment of consideration. And she wasn't. How could she be happy knowing that not only had she lost her beautiful daughter, but the man who had come to mean so much to her over the last three years? Hell, she'd lost everything.

'I never told him how I felt, and now it's too late,' she lamented. He would now never know how much he had meant to her and that her feelings for him ran much deeper than him being her superior.

'Can I offer you the same advice that I told a young Sam Tyler?' Nelson asked, leaning down on his elbows towards Alex who meekly nodded in response. 'When you can feel - then you're alive. When you don't feel, you're not,' he told her simply and then waited for her to process his words. A moment of silence passed as Alex considered what he had said and then met his eyes with her tearful ones.

'I can feel,' she whispered, her words breathy as she exhaled, 'I feel so much pain.' And it was true. A deep ache pulsated within her at the thought of Gene being left on his own. The image of him on the floor of his chequered wonderland wouldn't leave her mind and she knew that was how she would envisage him forever more; broken. Lost. Vulnerable. And the thought of it was killing her. Nelson studied her face. The woman before him wasn't ready for her drink, he had known that as soon as she had entered the Railway Arms with her shoulders slumped and a smile absent from her face. That was no way to enter his pub and her soft confession of pain only confirmed his suspicions that she didn't belong her. Leaning in closer to her so he could speak quietly, Nelson looked down into her sad green eyes.

'Then maybe you're still alive, mon cheri,' he told her gently, eyebrows raised. Alex's eyes studied his as she heard his words. No, she wasn't. She was dead and she was here. She'd always be here.

'I can't be. I've here, Nelson. We both know what that means' she told him sadly.

'I've had plenty of people walk out of here before, you know. What's a pub without regulars who leave and come back? I need someone to spread the good word' He pulling back from her and give a small wink. Alex felt her heart pound in her chest and her eyes flickered to the door. He couldn't mean... She couldn't...

'This place is for old friends to catch up and spend their time in carefree laughter. I can't have you sat here on your own bringing them down, I'm afraid,' he scolded lightly but the wide smile on his face indicated his amusement.

Picking up a beer glass and a cloth, Nelson began to polish the glass to a shine and sighed heavily, 'I hate to do it to such a pretty woman like yourself, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to kick you out.' He shook his head with sadness as he kept his eyes on the glass in his hand. Alex couldn't believe what she was hearing, the tears in her eyes escaping and promptly being wiped away, a small sobbing laugh tumbling from her lips. Nelson met her eyes and tilted his head towards the doors she'd not long walked through. 'Go on. On your way,' he told her, with another wink and a smile.

'Thank you' she whispered to him. As she began to walk away from the bar, she stopped and turned to face Nelson once more. 'Save me a drink?' She asked him softly. The barman placed the glass he had been polishing down next to her still untouched glass of wine and filled it with cold beer. He then left them side by side and smiled at her.

'They'll be here when you're ready,' he told her. He received a grateful smile from the woman in front of him and watched as she darted out the doors and into the street. Nelson stood for a second, his eyes still on the doors as they swung shut behind her, the echo of her ecstatic laugh fading, until his thoughts were interrupted by a loud 'Oi! Nelson! Another round here!' from Ray, a loud wave of laughter and cheers from the table of Manchester and Salford and Fenchurch East group of friends, old and new.


	2. Soft Kisses

As soon as she walked out into the cool, crisp evening air, Alex knew she had two options; go home and freshen up in an attempt to try and feel human again, or she could rid herself of heartache and find Gene as soon as possible. In her mind there was no decision to make and she knew exactly where she would find him. There was no other place that he could be, and so Alex, with her thoughts going a mile a minute, made her way to Fenchurch East CID.

Taking a deep breath and looking up at the building that was now so familiar to her, she stopped for a second, trying to calm down her heart. She could see the dim light illuminating the night just outside his office window which confirmed her suspictions that he was in his office, and she could practically see him now; feet up on his desk, bottle of Whiskey well broken in and a glass - probably empty - in his hand. Despite the fact it hadn't actually been too long since he had watched her walk into the Railway Arms - an hour? Maybe two? - she felt like it had been an entire lifetime since she had last laid eyes on Gene Hunt and she was eager to be in his company once more. But despite the need to see him again, she felt her footsteps slowing down as they made their way through the familiar corridors and got closer to the double doors that she knew he was just behind. Inevitably, there was soon nowhere left for her to go but through the doors. Slowly placing her hand flat against the cold strip of metal on the door, she took a deep breath and then slowly pushed it open to reveal Gene exactly as she had known he would be - pout firmly in place, whiskey firmly in hand.

The only light in the room came from his office but that was all she needed to see the man that was a permanent resident in her mind. As quietly as she could, she stepped through the door and began to make her way across the chequered floor. The place looked remarkably like it had before Keats had tried to tear it apart and the sight of everything being back in it's place both thrilled and hurt Alex; it were as if nothing had happened which was comforting in a way to think that even after such destruction, there was a chance for it to be healed. But it _had_ happened. Things weren't ever going to be the same again for either of them. But perhaps it was a good thing that they had their foundations back and could now rebuild themselves again. This time, together.

The tapping of her red heeled shoes was the only sound in the room which resulted in her every step ringing out like a siren screaming her arrival which hadn't exactly been what she had planned, but she found that the clatter kept her grounded. It urged her on as if she were setting a rhythm for herself that would be a crime to break and dirupt, and so she didn't. Instead, she took the slow but steady walk towards the glass box that he was in.

_Tap. _

_Tap. _

_Tap. _

She didn't stop until she saw his head slowly raise and his eyes tear away from the bottle that he had been blankly staring at since she had entered the room, but at the sight of his piercing blue eyes fixing on her so powerfully, she became rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch. It were as if he had cast a spell on her that had turned her limbs to ice and her heart to molten lava, it burned so much. His expression was one of complete and utter denial for a second, but then changed to one of more confusion and disbelief. She had gone? She'd walked into the Railway Arms without a second glance, of that he was sure. He had watched the door close and he certainly knew he had felt stabbing pains all over his body, so why was she here? _How_ could she be here? He didn't know. He _really _didn't know.

She had thought she'd never see him again, yet here he was. Here _they_ were. Before he had time to process his actions, he was tearing open the door of his office and striding towards her. Her intoxicating scent was already filling his senses and the shy smile on her lips only spurred him on more until he stopped dead in front of her and met the eyes that were nearly level with his because of her heels, unsure of what to say. It seemed for once, she too was lost for words and instead of speaking, hooked her thumbs through the belt loops of her skin tight jeans and rocked on the balls of her feet slightly, breaking their eye contact and glancing at the floor awkwardly.

'Bollykecks,' he said softly, breaking the silence that had draped over them. Alex slowly brought her eyes up to his face again, looking at him through her lashes, and let out a relieved sigh and a smile.

'Guv.'

'What're you doing here?' The question had filled his mind and now it came blurting out before he could say anything else. Alex shrugged her shoulders, a small smirk falling across her features as she casually and glanced around the room. She sucked a breath in through her teeth and rocked on her heels a bit closer to Gene as she spoke nonchalantly, 'Ohhh, you know how it is. I spent five minutes in the Railway Arms and Nelson decided I talked too much. Had to kick me out' she raised her eyebrows at Gene and shrugged. Lowering her voice as if telling him a secret she said, 'He's nowhere near as patient as Luigi is.' A knowing wink was directed at Gene, and he rolled his eyes and nodded his head thoughtfully.

'Luigi's a bloody saint for putting up with the bollocks you talk. I'm surprised Nelson lasted thirty bloody seconds, let alone five minutes, Bolly.' Alex nodded in agreement and then let out a small laugh as Gene lifted his chin and sniffed in his usual smug way. The comfortable silence that they found themselves in stretched out until Alex couldn't think of anything but how beautiful he was in the half-light coming from his office. He really was an amazing person, cutting a fine figure with his features softened in the darkness but his presence as bright and captivating as ever.

'I thought I was never going to see you again,' she told him quietly, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

Gene paused and studied her face intensly before saying, 'Me an' all.'

'I think we've wasted enough time, Gene. I'm done with dancing around each other and trying to avoid any situation where we might actually admit how we feel, just because we're both too bloody proud to throw our hands up and say it. I was scared of becoming attached to you because I always knew my little girl needed me more and I needed to get back to her, but Molly - ' she paused at the thought of her daughter, alone and without a Mother, pain shooting through her quickly. A deep breath and then, 'Molly has Evan now and I know that no matter how hard I fight or try to deny my life here, I can't get back to her. I'll miss her every single day of my life, of course I will, but I'm no use to her anymore. I have to start living.' Gene had listened to her words as they had poured from her mouth, their pace increasing as she continued and her voice passionate. He now stared down at her intensely. She was right. She was _so_ right about everything, and he didn't want to be without her anymore.

'I'm not going to be the perfect boyfriend that you want, Bolls. I've been here before and I'm no good at commitment or making anyone 'appy.' Alex knew he was talking about his ex-wife and smiled understandingly.

'I know. But I don't want a 'perfect' boyfriend, Gene. I've never been that great either, but both our marriages were disastrous, right?' She asked, stepping forward and placing her hands on his chest as his found their way to her hips and rested there lightly.

'Right...?' He agreed questioningly.

'Then we won't get married' she told him simply. 'We'll take everything one day at a time and just be us. Not Mr. and Mrs. Hunt. Not Gene and his girlfriend, or Alex and her lover boy. Just us. Just the Guv and Bolly,' she beamed up at him, her eyes bright. Gene took a deep breath and thought about it for a second.

'One day at a time. The Guv and his Bolly...' He mulled it over.

'Bolly and _her_ Guv,' Alex interrupted with a playful correction.

'Yeah. Yeah, I like the sound of that,' Gene smiled. And he really did. As Alex slipped an arm around his neck and pulled him down to her, she mumbled a breathy 'good' before their lips met in a soft kiss.

Pulling back a couple of seconds later, Alex paused making sure that she wanted to say it, then decided promptly that she did.

'I love you, Gene,' she whispered, planting a tender kiss on his lips. Without hesitation, Gene looked down at his - what? Girlfriend? Partner? Lover? - and smiled fondly.

'I love you too, DI Drake' And he then assaulted her lips, knocked her backwards slightly with the force of his kiss and causing her to step back so that she didn't over balance, her back arching a little and a loud, delighted giggle escaping her.

X-x-x-x-x

**Okay so the first two chapters have both been setting up the storyline, really. The next will getting a bit more into it and then it'll get a little bit more angsty and - hopefully - a little more interesting! I hope you've enjoyed the first two quite fluffy chapters of this and if you have a moment, please drop in a little review with your thoughts. **

**Oh, and for those who don't know, I am an avid Tumblr - .Com so follow me if you don't already and let's make friends :) **

**MBRB'xoxo **


	3. New Starts

Eventually they decided that it was perhaps time that they untangled themselves from each others arms and left CID to make their way back to Alex's flat above a soft smile being passed between them, Alex reached down to take Genes hand and as one, they made their way through the numerous corridors of Fenchurch East. It had been a long day for both of them and it wasn't until they had actually got outside the building that they realised it was growing lighter outside, the morning sun trying to break through the night sky. It felt beautifully familiar to make their way across the street towards their local, Gene Hunt by her side and the promise of a stiff drink and a striped sofa. Within minutes, they were outside the familiar bar which no longer seemed so familiar, their eyes expressing completely different emotions; Alex's wide and shocked, non-understanding of what was happening, and Gene's downcast and sad at the end of yet another era.

The lights that always shone from either the bottom floor or the top floor weren't lighting the dawn sky on this night, and the windows and doors which always seemed so welcoming before now had slabs of wood hammered haphazardly across them, a large and imposing 'For Sale' sign stuck crudely next to the door, and the small sections of glass that had not been boarded over were filled in with a white paint-like material which stopped anyone peering through them, into the once lively bar. Alex couldn't believe what she was seeing as she took in the completely alien state of the building - of her home. How had it happened so quickly? It wasn't possible. But then again, was anything really impossible anymore? Her hand reached out dreamily and flitted along the wooden planks that where pinned to the window frames. It felt so real under her finger tips, the bumps and knots of it feeling harsh against her skin, but she still couldn't wrap her head around the derelict state of the bar. It wasn't until she felt a grounding hand on her shoulder that she turned away from the stonework and looked around to see Gene standing right behind her, a sad smile on his face.

'People move on quickly in this world, Bolls.' The rough and short explanation didn't seem to be anything close to sufficient, but the shock of seeing the place that she lived suddenly in a state of decline was a massive blow to the system and she looked at up at Gene with a frown on her face.

'What about my stuff?' She asked him. She had nothing but the clothes on her back. She'd started over once when she had come to this world - it wasn't fair that she had to start over again now.

'Let's have a looksy.' Gene mumbled in his deep macucian accent, finding one of the looser boards and wiggled his fingers underneath it. Moments later, he had managed to removed the board from across the door that lead up to her flat. Using his board for leverage, Gene set about getting the rest of the planks off of the doorway whilst Alex stood behind him awkwardly, her arms tightly folded and her weight shifting from foot to foot nervously. The amount of noise Gene was making tearing down the wood seemed amplified by the empty street and it occurred to her that it wouldn't exactly look good if a neighbour were to look out the window to see what was going on, only to see a man who looked less than approachable tearing down strips of wood from a boarded up building. Eventually, the doorway was cleared and Gene stood back to let Alex past him, a chivalrous arm outstretched and his lips drawn into a half smile. Alex silently slipped past him and made her way up the oh so familiar stairs, searching through her bag as she went. Reaching the top of the stairs, her heart hammered in anticipation as her key slid into the lock in the same way that it always had and when her front door swung open to reveal everything exactly as it had been when she had woken up that morning, a breath that she hadn't realised she was holding puffed out of her in relief. Like she had done a million times before, she threw her keys down on her kitchen table with a clatter and made her way over to the cupboard in which her alcohol was stored. Glancing over at Gene who stood awkwardly in the kitchen doorway, she asked if he wanted one, getting two glasses out and placing them on the kitchen counter regardless. Instead of answering her question, Gene sighed and walked over to Alex so he was stood behind her.

'You can't stay here now, Bolly' he told her softly. He knew that it was something she had already realised, but sometimes you need to be told something by an outside voice to really accept it. Alex sighed heavily and placed the bottle in her hand down on the sideboard, staring down at her hands.

'I know...' she sighed 'I know. But this is my home, Gene' she leant back in his arms as he slipped them around her waist, holding her to him. 'Where am I going to find a new place at such short notice?' She didn't want to move. She had been happy here with her one bedroom flat and her black and white sofa, her friendly landlord and her convenient place above her boozer. Moving would be just another change that she hadn't anticipated. Another way to make her feel that she didn't belong anymore.

'Well it might be a bit soon like, but you could always bring all your girly stuff round to my place' Alex turned her head to look over her shoulder at Gene in surprise.

'Me move in to your place?' She asked, disbelief in her voice and surprise shining through her eyes.

'Well I'm not gonna have all your stuff cluttering up my place if you're not gonna be there, Lady B' he teased. Alex turned in his arms so she was fully facing him, uncertainty on her face again after a fleeting smile.

'Are you sure? I'd probably drive you crazy'

'You do that anyway'

'Even crazier' she elaborated.

'I don't think I can _get_ much crazier, Bolls. I've got you nagging in me ear 24/7 anyway. You don't have to, ya know. I'm not gonna fight to have you taking up space in my man kingdom and making it all girly and poofy, but if ya did wanna, then you'd be welcome' he told her, aware that he sounded like some arse-licking mummys boy. The look of sheer relief and thankfullness that came across her face was enough for Gene to push his anxiety at sounding like a wimp to the back of his mind and give her a soft smile in return. Jesus Christ. Bollinger was going to live with him? Big changes were afoot. But her lips on his as she kissed him as way of an answer made it all seem worth it. Things were changing at a colossal speed anyway. Why not just go with them?

It took them quite a lengthy amount of time until they were ready to leave her old flat - it still didn't sound right to her ears - and make their way down to the Quattro. Alex had decided that she could take the opportunity to clear out her wardrobe and decide what she did and didn't want to take with her into the next phase of her life. Gene had tried to insist that she just shove it all in a bag and take all her crap with her, sort it out in the morning, but she had been adamant that no; she was going to go through it now. Gene had put on a video of High Noon as she floated around her flat, throwing some clothes into a corner and folding some, placing them neatly into bags. 3 cups of coffee and a couple of hours later, Alex was standing at her front door, taking one last look around the place she had once called home, flicking off the lights and making her way down the stairs. There was an air of finality about the process which made a lump rise in her throat that she hastily tried to force down. As the stepped once more in the crisp air which had grown considerably lighter, Alex swung the keys around her finger absentmindedly. What should she do with them? They weren't _hers _anymore and she doubted very much that she would ever have the need to go back up there, so she quietly slipped them through the letterbox next to the door up to the flat, the loud clatter of the letter box ringing through the air bringing about the signal that her time at Luigi's was well and truly over. She then reached for Genes hand that was being held out in understanding, holding on tightly to the only person she had in this place. Gene had had his fair share of moving on, having the earth kicked out from underneath you and not knowing if you would ever land on your feet again. And it never got easier. So instead of saying anything, he just walked her over to her rightful seat in the Quattro, climbed into the drivers seat and with a quick 'Hold on to your knicker elastic, Bolly', threw the Quattro into first.

**:) **


	4. The Vault

**A/n So I'm not to sure if you fellas are enjoying this little fic of mine, but I'm going to keep it going for a while because I am really excited to get to the place that it's going. Thanks to Jazzola for her wonderful reviews and I hope that you bear with me on this one! It's starting to get there now in this chapter so please enjoy and if you have a moment, please let me know your thoughts!**

**MBRB'xoxo**

Waking up the next morning - well, afternoon - with the steady breathing of Gene Hunt beside her was a feeling that Alex thought she could quite easily get used to. They had dragged a couple of bags into his surprisingly respectable house and dropped them in the hallway before traipsing upstairs and leaving the rest of her belongings outside in the car. They were both suitably exhausted and a quick glance at his bedside clock told her it was nearly 5am. Alex had half-heartedly attempted to find a pair of her pajamas but had quickly given in and pulled an old rugby shirt out of Genes wardrobe, thrown it on and padded into the bathroom in search of a toothbrush. At the sight of her with her eyes heavy, hair pulled back into a lazy pony tail and face free of make-up, Gene paused and looked at her thoughtfully.

'The sight of you in my shirt like that would really give be the 'orn if I weren't so bloody tired, Bolls' he told her. If he was honest, he wasn't completely uneffected as it was, but he knew there was a time and a place and 5am with a woman who looked like she could barely stand up was not that time. Besides. She was living with him - bloody hell what had he let himself in for? - so he didn't doubt the time would come soon. Alex meagerly smiled in response and took the fresh toothbrush that he had taken from the cabinet and was now holding out to her.

'Thanks'. He wasn't sure if she was thanking him for his semi-compliment or the toothbrush, but he decided that he didn't really care.

And so there they were at half 4 the next afternoon having slept away the morning. Gene had awoken to the sight of Alex who had evidently moved in the night so her legs were still on her side of the bed, but her top half was angled more towards Gene, her head half rested on his pillow and her face close to his. He watched her for a while and took in this side of Alex that he'd very rarely seen; hair sleep mussed, her fringe unclipped and hanging loosely in her eyes in a way that she never really allowed when she was awake, eyes free of any colour to accentuate them, ears void of any of those ridiculous earrings she wore. Yet she still looked like the woman he had grown to care so much for. Under his gaze, Alex shuffled in her sleep, bringing her hand up to rest next to her cheek millimeters from Gene's face, and shifting her head so she was snuggled further into the pillows. The soft murble of words that she fell from her lips quietly and then faded away into a little grumble and frown as she moved put a small smile on his face and caused him to roll his eyes - he should have known she'd bloody well be a sleep talked. The woman never shut up in the day, what was there stopping her from talking through the night? Gene allowed her to sleep for what seemed like an eternity more but was, in reality, little more than 15 minutes before he gently shoved her over, rolling her away from him. Alex stirred and groaned as she felt his hands on her side and her body being rolled away from where it had been comfortable. Through half open eyes, she turned towards where Gene now lay looking as innocent as Gene Hunt possibly can, and frowned with another sleepy grumble.

"Piss off, Gene" she told him bluntly, not amused at being woken up.

"Sorry, Bolly. Didn't see you there" he told her lightly and easily dodged a sleepy slap aimed at his shoulder.

X-x-x-x-x-x

A mere four hours later and Alex was finishing up putting the rest of her clothes away in Gene's wardrobe. He had presented her with ' lavish breakfast in bed, your royal poshness' - by which he had meant a cup of tea albeit perfectly made, had given her the guided tour of château la Hunt - 'Kitchen ... Living room... Stairs... Oh you can work out a bloody house, Bols. Put that brain of yours to good use and work out the room with the bog in is infact the bathroom' - and was now sat on his sofa as Alex finished up unpacking. Hanging the last couple of blouses and blazers in the wardrobe, Alex let out a small sigh and stood in the middle of Gene's - their - bedroom at the small marks that she had left on it; the shoes lined up by the wall. The makeup bag and hair products placed near the mirror that hung opposite his bed. The smell of perfume hanging in the air that she had sprayed lightly as she had unpacked it. It didn't quite feel like home yet, but it was getting there. Going downstairs, Alex found Gene exactly as she had expected to - feet up on the sofa and watching TV.

'Fancy a drink, Guv?' she asked, stood in front of him. Gene glanced up from the telly briefly and nodded his head sharply, pout in place.

'Go on then'. Alex rolled her eyes.

'No, Gene. In a pub. No time like the present to go looking for a new local'. Her thumbs were hooked in her jeans pockets and she stood with her elbows stuck out and a small smile on her lips.

'Sounds like a deal, Bolly' he replied, flicking off the TV and standing up.

x-x-x-x

Hand in hand, the couple ambled through the streets of London. Gene had said that there was a place he had visited a couple of times when Luigi's had been too much for him and so she followed where he was leading her, gladly by his side. It wasn't until they reached the pub that Gene had deemed suitable for a local boozer that they could go to each evening to relax in that aprehension began to creep steadily into Alex's stomach. The building from the outside didn't have the calm atmosphere and charm that Luigi's and the Railway Arms had had, nor did it have the welcoming aura about it that she would usually look for. The faded red lettering above the door labeled the place as 'The Vault' and it looked that at one point, it had been a proud place in which friends could meet. But now it was in a state of decline and the chipped paint on the walls was less than inviting. Gene didn't seem to notice her slight discomfort as they approached the door of The Vault and instead pulled her along as he walked through the faded red door.

Her nose was instantly filled with a mix of stale smoke, fresh smoke and liquor, confirming her suspicions that this was a less than perfect place to spend ones evenings. Her vision was slightly clouded due to the thick fog that was filling the room and the dim lighting didn't seem to help much. Instantly, a wave of cheers came from the bar where a group of rough and rugged looking men stood, looking towards where Gene and Alex stood.

'Hello, fellas. Get the drinks in' he called across in his gruff voice which was met by another wave of cheers. It seemed that although he claimed to have not come here that often, he had a number of friends who were welcoming him back with open arms. Gene tugged Alex level with his side and gave her a questioning glance as he realised that she had dropped behind him a little. Alex shook her head in response signaling that it didn't matter, but he felt her hand tightening on his ever so slightly as they approached the dark coloured bar. The men who lined it were all of very similar discription - broad shouldered, rugged faces and booming voices. They certainly held the attention of all the women in the place - women who, if Alex was honest, didn't really seem like potential friends to her. Short skirts, low tops, heavy blusher and bright red lips. It was all very 80's trash and the threatening glances they shot her way as they eyes up Gene didn't go unnoticed to her, nor did the eyes of the men raking over her body appreciatively making her wish she had worn a slightly less clinging dress. A man at the bar who stood closest to Gene and Alex stood up from his slouching position, shrugging off the woman who was draped over his shoulder, gum being chewed loudly in his ear and beamed over at Alex.

'Nice bit of skirt you got there, Gene. Going to classier corners these days?' he grinned lecherously at Alex as he spoke, his eyes never leaving her body as a ripple of laughter and approval shot through the men who surrounded him. Alex glanced across at Gene who was pointedly looking anywhere but at her face, and was disgusted to see a small smile playing on his lips.

'Where ya been, Gene? Not seen ya for a while' another asked. Gene nodded in agreement and his eyes glittered at being back with the men who he considered friends.

'Then you won't mind getting them in, will you, Pete' he told him. The man who still had his eyes firmly on Alex clicked his fingers to the equally rugged looking barman who began to fill a tumbler of whiskey for Gene.

'And what does the lady want?' Pete asked Gene, not Alex herself. Gene glanced down at Alex as she looked up at him, her lips open to reply to the question that wasn't quite directed at her, but Gene cut her off with a confident 'red wine'. As he pulled her over to the bar, Alex felt her heart sink slightly. She didn't want to be here and she was sure that she was oozing discomfort from her every pore. He hand still clung to Gene's in an attempt to keep something by her that would give her the comfort she was desperately hoping that he would give her. But instead, Gene reached out for his whiskey and downed it, slamming it on the bar with a hiss. And as he began to fall into a conversation, Gene raised the hand that was being held tightly by Alex, letting his grip loosen on it and clearly indicating that she was to let go. Alex got the hint and drop her hand from his as he awkwardly ran his hand through his blonde hair, trying his hardest to ignore the painful expression on her face as he turned back to the crude conversation that was now flowing, leaving her to lean against the bar and stare longingly down into her red wine, trying to ignore the stabbing feel of rejection in her heart.


	5. The New Team

**A/n What seems to be another quite fluffy chapter but I promise it's all going somewhere! All reviews are so **_**so **_**appreciated so if you have a spare moment, please drop a 'comment' as they're now called.**

**Enjoy**

**MBRB'xoxo**

It was three weeks into their new lives and although there were a couple of minor hiccups - and a couple of major arguments - the pair seemed to be getting along very nicely, comfortably fitting into their new life together. The desks in CID had all been filled the day they had first walked into Fenchurch East which had given them both a pang of loss. The new team tried hard and between them, they _could_ solve a case, but it just wasn't the same well-practiced, oiled machine that it had once been. Alex couldn't blame them for not knowing which pout meant Gene would slap anyone down who spoke to him and which pout meant if you play your cards right, he might even buy you a drink that evening, but it was frustrating when she constantly had to be on guard to ensure no one did anything at the wrong time that could act as a flame to Gene's short-at-the-best-of-times fuse. Alex had most bonded with the young constable who had taken over Shaz's desk, PC David Pipman. Pipman had only got his badge a few months before he had joined Fenchurch and was an eager young thing, ready to learn and a good little tea maker. However he would often mess up the paperwork that he was asked to do and on more than one occasion had been asked to go get a file, only to return a half hour later asking which one it was he'd been sent to get. Gene obviously found Pipman infuriating but on Alex's instance, he had allowed her to try and take him under her wing as it were, and improve his organization and general office skills.

DC Richard Stonecliff, in a word, repulsed Alex. He was Gene's most favoured member of the new team and had all of Rays masogynistic and racist ways about him, but minus Carlings wit and unintentional charm. When Stonecliff had discovered that his new DI was a _woman_ of all things, he had not only shown her no respect whatsoever, but had made it his life goal to make her days a living hell. After the first time of point blank refusing to do as she had asked, claiming she was a 'frigid whore who couldn't tell him what to do', Alex had had no choice but to report him to Gene where he had received a sharp telling off and the threat of an official warning should he speak to his superior officer in such ways again. And so he had begun his new game of slowly driving Alex mad. Her freshly made tea would be thrown away before it had even reached her lips with an emotionless 'oh, sorry Ma'am. Thought you'd finished it', the files she had just retrieved would mysteriously find their way back to the storerooms without having even been opened, her messages would go AWOL somewhere between being taken and being given to her, and her spinny chair seemed to adjust itself to a new height every time she walked out the door. Alex and Richard certainly didn't get on, and the small private jokes that appeared to be popping up between him and Gene were really beginning to piss her off.

But Alex's main problem with the new team was DI Rachel Webber. Since Alex and Gene's return, they had noticed a stark increase in the amount of female officers that were working at Fenchurch East. The high percentage of these were plods that worked downstairs, but that didn't seem to bother Webber, who had formed a firm clique with them, bonding over their hatred of the men at Fenchurch, and their hatred for DI Alex Drake. Alex had, at first, been thrilled to see that there was another female DI, if not surprised. But she had to admit, when Ray had been promoted it had made her job easier - someone to share the burden with and someone who was resourceful and reliable. She had been looking forward to the same with Rachel and she was glad to see another woman working in the office. Her and Shaz had often shared companionable glances of disapproval at the boys antics in the past, and Alex had been nieve enough to believe that this could continue, but as soon as Webber had approached Alex, arms crossed and frown on her face, and bluntly asked 'Are you shagging Hunt?', Alex had known she was in trouble. She had tried to make her reply jokey and light, but what came out was an awkward 'Well, we're together if that's what you mean' which didn't go down well with Rachel. She had sniffed disapprovingly, judgmentally looked Alex up and down and then let out a small 'Uh-huh' as she walked away. Since that first day, DI Webber had done everything she could to disagree with Alex and show her just how much she didn't like her. If Alex walked into CID even a minute late, Rachel would be coughing and pointedly looking at the clock. If she was in Gene's office for longer than she perceived as a 'respectable' amount of time, she'd burst through the door in the hopes of catching Alex in an awkward moment, regardless of the amount of times Gene told her to knock, and she made damn sure that all of the other female officers thought Alex had slept her way to DI.

But, when it came down to it, no matter how stressed Alex was, as soon as she got into the Quattro she could feel her tension beginning to slip away. A hand on her thigh as Gene sped them through the streets of London and towards their home calmed her more than any cup of tea could.

Gene had found his new team infuriating, yes, but he didn't really have a problem with them. He knew deep down Pipman was trying his best, and hey - they were getting results. In the three weeks he'd been back, there had been a couple minor thefts and drug busts, one open-and-close murder and one hostage situation which had pretty much sorted itself out, and so Gene didn't really understand where Alex's angry outbursts and complaints were coming from. Ray had given her lip about being a woman before, and he was sure she'd not got along swimmingly with _everyone _she'd ever met, so her heavy sighs and downhearted words as they came home each night puzzled him a little. Eventually, he stopped listening to what she was really saying and offered a couple of 'blimey's and 'bloody hell's combined with a quick reassuring pat on her thigh when he felt they were appropriate, hoping she wouldn't ask him what she'd just said - he hadn't a clue. And each night, by the time they got home, she had talked out her problems - to herself - and they were ready to just be themselves again. Gene and his Bolly.

That evening as they had arrived home, Gene had removed his jacket as Alex unzipped her heeled boots and they began to potter around sorting themselves out. As she came downstairs a while later with her hair tied back in a small ponytail and a more comfy jumper on, Gene frowned a little which went unnoticed as she pecked his cheek and moved past him into the kitchen.

'Tea?' She asked over her shoulder, her slippered feet flumping lightly on the kitchen tiles as she placed two mugs down anyway.

'Erm, Bolls. I thought we could go for a drink tonight. Not been for ages' he said from his place in the doorway to the kitchen. Alex glanced over her shoulder to where he was and frowned before turning back to the teas that she was making, putting in the teabags and pouring water over them.

'I know, but I told you...' she paused to make her way over to fridge, opening it and shooting him a look 'I really didn't like it there - oh for fuck sake' she closed the fridge with a slight slam empty handed, placing a fist on her hip. 'You didn't get the milk.' Gene pushed himself off of the door frame and walked into the kitchen to lean against one of the counters.

'Oh shit, sorry. It's not that bad, Alex. They were only joking when they said you were from a street corner' a small smile was on his lips at the memory of the evening that they had spent at the Vault. When they'd come home, she had been awfully quiet, and after questioning had told him that she had despised the place and the way the 'fellas' looked at her.

'Oh, so they were joking when they asked if they could have me once you'd had had your fun as well?' she fumed, trying to keep her temper under control as she picked the steaming mugs up and carried them over to the sink. 'Jesus, I asked you to do one thing, Gene. You got your paper. How the hell did you forget the milk?' steam rose from the sink as she tipped the boiling water into it and began to rinse both the mugs out.

'I had other things on my mind! I'll go get some in a second -'

'The shops'll be shut'

'Jesus, Alex! It's milk for fuck sake, not the bloody end of the world. Can you listen to what I'm saying?' his voice had risen slightly in anger and her jaw stuck out stubbornly as she turned, crossed her arms tightly over her chest and leant against the sink. Gene took a breath and then continued;

'One drink. I feel I haven't been out of this house for months' he groaned. He knew that he could of course go out without her, but after all the time he had spent with her in Luigi's, it didn't feel right to go to a pub without his drinking partner. Alex sighed and tried to calm herself down a little. She was still stressed from the work day and all she wanted to do was curl up on the sofa with Gene in her comfy jumper and watch whatever crap was on the TV. She really wasn't in the mood to try and deflect any unwanted attention and put on a show of having a good time.

'Look, how about this. We stay in tonight and we go out tomorrow. I'm not feeling too great, Gene. I'm really not in the mood to sit with your friends and listen to their bullshit' she frowned, trying to convey how much she _really _didn't want to go. Gene frowned and thought about it for a moment as he considered what she was saying. She did look exhausted and what was one more day?

'Promise?' he mumbled childishly. Alex let out a small laugh and walked towards him, placing her hands on his chest and pecking his lips lightly.

'Promise'

Later that evening, as they were curled up on the sofa watching some god-awful soap opera, Alex brought her feet up and tucked them underneath her, leaning back into Genes chest as he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him, kissing her temple.

'Fancy a tea?' he asked her quietly so as not to disturb the comfortable lull in the room.

'No milk, you oaf' she told him softly, a small smile on her lips as she rolled her eyes.

'Oh yeah. Whoops. I'll get some in the morning.' Alex nodded in his arms and laughed quietly.

'I know you will, you bloody idiot'. She then leant back and kissed his lips, a smile on her face. 'Love you' she mumbled as he leant down to kiss her again as she pulled back.

'Love you too, Bolls'


	6. Never Again

**A/n So I'm reposting this chapter because it was written really quickly - and was full of horrible spelling mistakes - and I really wasn't happy with it. It niggled at me all night and then the fabulous Jazzola kindly confirmed my suspicions that it was a bit OOC and so I decided to suck it up and rewrite. I hope this one is a little better! I'm happier with it at least! **

**Enjoy - your thoughts are always appreciated if you have a second! **

**MBRB'xoxo **

The next evening had come and, as promised, Alex accompanied Gene to the Vault. When she arrived to spend the evening with a group of people she both didn't know and didn't want to know, she was surprised to see one familiar face sitting among the crowd. DC Richard Stonecliff was sat at the bar with the man who had brought her glass of red when they were last there - Pete - laughing loudly with most of the others who had been there that night.

'Come on, Bolls' Gene mumbled to her softly as they walked through the door and into the dingy bar. She assumed that he meant that he wanted her to make a bit more of an effort to look happy because although they had been there a total of less than 30 seconds, a frown was firmly fixed on her face and she was beginning to feel annoyance knot in her stomach. But she had promised that she would come tonight and so she may as well try and enjoy herself so she slapped a smile on her face and made her way over to the bar where the men were grouped together.

'Thought we'd never see you again now you're tied down' one of the men sat on a tattered red barstool said mockingly as he took a sip of his drink. Gene laughed as he accepted the scotch that was being passed to him.

'Not tied down, mate. I wouldn't have it any other way' he winked, giving Alex a quick squeeze of her had and taking a deep gulp of his drink. Alex waited for a glass of something - dear god, anything. She was dying for a drink - to be handed to her but it never was. Two stools were unoccupied next to the group and Gene guided her to the one closest to Stonecliff who was nearest to them so that she was sat between Gene and the rest of them, meaning she had to try and get involved in the conversation. The white wine that she had ordered quietly herself was handed to her with a wink and she played absentmindedly with the stem of the glass as Genefell deep in conversation about the recent football match that had been played down the local football club. With no interest in football and not knowing half the names that were being batted around, it became apparent very quickly to her that even if she tried to involve herself in their chatter, she wouldn't be able to so she just tried to sit it out and wait for them to move on to a topic that she was semi-interested in, instead focusing on the sweetness of her wine in her mouth and wrapping herself up in her own thoughts.

She longed for the friendly and welcoming atmosphere that Luigi had been able to create so easily. There, if Gene had been wrapped up in conversations she didn't want to be in with Chris and Ray, she always had Shaz to turn and talk to. Here? Here, if she turned the other way, there was just another reasonably unfriendly and extremely unfamiliar face that she wouldn't be able to hold an engaging conversation with if she tried for three days. She didn't realise that a small sigh had slipped through her lips until Gene had dropped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a questioning look.

'Alright Bolls?' She smiled at his concern softly and nodded her head.

x-x-x-x

An hour later and, Gene was well on his way to tipsy, his voice becoming a little louder and the arm around her remained there but grew lazy and heavier. He had spoken to her a handful of times and brought her a couple of drinks, but the evening was turning out to be a blur of boyish conversation topics spoken across her and laughter which was really beginning to set her teeth on edge. It was the man who Alex was pretty sure was called Lewis who eventually addressed her.

'So, Alice, you're trying to tame Gene?' he asked with a teasing smirk.

'My name's Alex' she corrected through gritted teeth. She really didn't appreciate his mocking tone and the low rumble of laughter that went through the crowd of men at the idea that a) Gene could be 'tamed' and b) she would be the woman to do it.

'So, Alex, you're trying to tame Gene' he repeated, emphasizing her correct name. Alex glared at him for a second then took a calming breath.

'I don't think he really needs 'taming'. He's not a wild animal' she said slowly. Gene gave her a little squeeze and kissed her cheek lightly. The small display of affection got a couple of wolf whistles and hollers from the group but she really couldn't care less.

'So you don't worry that he used to be out looking for a different whore each night?' he asked, genuine curiosity seemed to be in his tone of voice and it struck Alex how strange it must have been for this man who had always been so free and ready for a good time with anyone to suddenly have a woman under his arm and the same person to go home with every night. But at the same time, Alex still had the same annoyance building in her. She wasn't trying to change Gene. He hadn't changed. He was still the same Gene Hunt that he had always been; volatile, feisty and infuriating as hell. In response, Alex shook her head.

'That was when he was single. He's not going to cheat on me' she told him bluntly, annoyed at the insinuation that he would. She glanced over at Gene, his arm still wrapped around her, and he was still looking down at her with his pour firmly in place but he rubbed her shoulder supportively. He then picked up his drink and downed the rest of it, slamming the glass on the table and ordering another one for himself and Alex.

'This one on the other hand' he laughed. 'Never met such a dozy mare in my entire life. Head full of brains - noone smarter - but she says she daftest things. My old DC, Skellton, was the biggest twat you've ever met and even he made more sense than her at times' Gene laughed lightly, giving her a playful nudge in her side as if his words were nothing more than a joke, but they stung far too much to be funny. The small amount of hope that had risen up in Alex as the conversation took a turn towards something that she could actually contribute to was shattered as Gene spoke and got laughs from his friends.

'Not bad to look at though' another said and Gene nodded in proud agreement that it was he who had Alex beneath his arm and he once again pulled her a little closer to him, not noticing her stiffening in his arms.

'Must be good in the sack though, Hunt. No other reason why you'd make her bloody DI' Stonecliff chipped in, always ready to insult Alex any that he possibly could.

'Oi. Watch your mouth, Stonecliff' Hunt warned half heartedly. He knew how Stonecliff was and he knew that he was probably only joking, but he quickly corrected him with 'And anyway. It wasn't me that made her a DI. I dunno which fruitcake did that, but he's got a lot to answer for' Gene laughed, looking down at Alex, waiting for her laughter too. He had told her in the past that he didn't know how she'd made DI because she talked too much, but that had always been followed up with a statement about how she was a brilliant cop. But not this time. Alex felt anger bubble up inside her. She was fed up of being in this horrific bar with her lungs being filled with secondhand smoke and her liver slowly being pickled so that she actually had something to do. Gene's remark was the last straw, as it were, and with determination she stood up from her stool causing all eyes to land on her.

'Oh you know what? Piss off, Gene' she spat and turned away from him, storming out of the bar.

x-x-x-x-x

After she had left the bar, Gene had mumbled an apology and ran out after her, catching her hand as she walked into the chilly night air.

'Bolly'

'I said piss off' she snapped, not turning to face him as she walked towards their house.

'Oh come on, Alex. Why're you so bloody angry?' Alex spun on her heels, eyes flashing.

'Why am I angry? Oh I don't know Gene! Maybe spending the evening in a place I didn't want to be in the first place, being bored out of my head whilst you shared misogynistic jokes with men who clearly think I'm holding you back and then have my boyfriend or partner or whatever the hell you are stand there and OH so proudly announce that he doesn't know why the hell I've been made a DI. It's been a delightful evening. You're right.' Gene had the decency to look at the floor with what looked like drunken shame on his face and when he looked up again, it was to see Alex standing with her fists clenched at her side and her chest heaving. He knew when they'd been in there that maybe he was pushing it a bit far, but the drink had spurred him on and the laughter from his friends made him ignore the hacked off looks he thought he saw Alex shooting him. But as he saw mix of anger and hurt on Alex's face, he wished that he hadn't.

'Bolls, I'm sorry'. It was all he could think of to say. He wasn't about to go into some long winded arselicking speech - he was still Gene Hunt - but he hoped he had managed to keep out the drunken slur and convey how sorry he actually was. She noted his slumped shoulders and dropped eyes, but a feeble 'sorry' was not going to make up for the hours that she'd spent in the bar being talked across and ignored.

'Not good enough, Gene' she said simply, venom in her voice. She could feel her blood pumping through her veins and her jaw clench as she kept her stubborn stnace.

'Well what do you want me to say, Alex? What do you want me to do?' he snapped at her, instantly regretting it.

'I want you to bloody well appreciate that I'm not some tramp hanging off your arm! Jesus christ, I want you to sit in there and get pissed off when that prick Stonecliff says that I only got my job because I'm shagging you. Tell him that it's got fuck all to do with the fact I'm in your bed and I have a higher rank because I'm worth 8 thousand of him and I'm flaming brilliant at what I do. Not sit there with your macho persona and say I should never have been promoted in the first place!' she yelled at him, jabbing a finger at his chest.

'You know I think you're a good DI!'

'THEN TELL THEM THAT!' her scream echoed through the darkness and bounced off the walls of the street, amplifying it. Alex and Gene both stood staring at eachother, her chest heaving and eyes defiant as Gene stood where he was not wanting to break the awkward silence that had now somehow interupted their argument. With a heavy sigh and a tone of defeat she said 'I don't want to argue with you, Gene. I just don't like being treated like shit, especially in front of people who look down on me already.' He could see that the evening had drained her completely and the sight of her stood with her arms wrapped around her, her weight now shifted to one leg and her shoulders dropped slightly was enough to sober him up a little. He chanced a step towards her and was surprised when she didn't step back from him or whack him round the face, so reached out for her and pulled a reluctant Alex into his arms. She didn't relax into him as she usually would but she didn't pull away from his arms holding her tightly to him.

'I really am sorry, Bolls' he whispered into her ear and felt her nod against his chest.

'I just don't like it, Gene. I'm stressed enough' she mumbled, feeling her tiredness coerce her into letting him just bring her home but the annoyance remaining.

'I know. You don't have to come again. I won't ask you to' She nodded once more and turned to begin the walk to their house. Gene didn't let his arm drop from her waist and held her to him the entire way home.

'I hate you' she told him a couple minutes later as they walked, speaking for the first time since they'd begun walking. Gene smiled into the darkness.

'No you don't'

x-x-x-x-x-x

'You okay now Bollinger? Not too angry' Gene asked as they came through the door. It was 2AM and it had taken them half an hour to complete the usually 10 minute walk from The Vault to their house. He thougt that they'd walked in companionable silence, ambling along the way they had done when they had first walked to the bar. But Alex had actually still been pretty furious. She had decided that it really wasn't worth arguing with Gene about it and so had taken his arm and walked home with him, but there was still anger simmering within her. He had said that he'd not ask her to go back to that bloody place and if he did, he could flaming well get knotted.

'No, it's fine Gene' she replied with a small sigh trying to keep the tiredness out of her voice but instead let out a yawn as she made her way up the stairs and to their bedroom. It didn't take her long for her to remove her makeup and prepare herself for bed, slipping on the same rugby top that she had worn her first night in the Hunt house; she had found it to be rather comfy and had claimed it for her own. As she slid in between the sheets, Gene was still downstairs wondering around aimlessly. He had sensed that, despite her tired words claiming otherwise, she wasn't completely okay with her yet and so had decided to give her a bit of space so that she could calm down. Hearing her footsteps making their way over to the bed and then the creaking as she settled down under the covers. He decided that now would be okay for him to go up and get ready for bed himself, so holding onto the bannister, he pulled himself up the stairs and made his way into the bathroom.

Alex lay in bed listening to him pottering around, his movements clumsy and cackhanded, taking far longer than he usually would have. When he did eventually come to bed, he was unsure if she was awake or not and so they both lay in silence on their separate sides of the bed, until Gene didn't want to stay away from her any longer. Since they had moved in together, they had spent each night wrapped in eachothers arms and he had quickly become accustomed to his arms being wrapped around her body. With a sigh, he gently rolled onto his side and reached out, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him so that her back was flush against his stomach. Alex, who wasn't yet asleep, tried to stop her tensions and anger evaporating but she was the perfect size for him to hold and his grip was so secure and safe that she felt herself shifting and relaxing into his arms. Not wanting to break the late-night calm, Alex whispered tiredly into the darkness that she loved him. Gene, instead of replying gave her a soft peck on her cheek and began to drift off to sleep.


	7. Tied Down

A/n Another semi-angsty chapter here but I promise the next one will be happier :) Please leave me your thoughts, and a MASSIVE thank you to all those who have reviewed, favorited and subscribed so far!

MBRB'xoxo

x-x-x-x

Another two weeks had passed and Alex was still stressed to the max at work. She had become snappier with Gene than she usually was and it was really starting to irritate him. There had only been a couple of arguments but overall, they had been okay and, as promised, Gene had not yet asked her to go back to the pub with her. They'd been for a couple of nice meals in the evening that had been nice and it was at these times that Alex saw the softer side of Gene that she really did adore.

Alex had had another awful day. She had spent the entire day trying to profile a killer that had targeted drug dealers all across London with an unusual and yet completely undefinable M.O. The case was an absolute nightmare and she had spent a lot of her time telling Stonecliff and Webber that actually, yes, criminal profiling was a valuable tool and no, it was not her just trying to waste all of their time. Gene hadn't helped by walking through CID and asking if she was 'still doing her psycho-bollocks', unintentionally undermining her in front of the entire team. As she had collapsed into the passenger seat of the Quattro and was sped through the streets, she stared blankly out the window.

'What's the problem, Bolls?' she sighed as she lazily looked around to face him.

'Nothing, Gene. I'm just tired' she told him wearily. Gene shot her a doubtful look but decided that it may be best not to push her, but the niggling feeling was still in the back of his mind. He had promised some of the guys that he would come and see them that night, but he hadn't asked Alex yet and he had a feeling that it wouldn't go down well.

Walking through the door of their house, Gene offered to make Alex a tea which nodded gratefully to as she threw herself down on the soft, dropping her head so it was rested on the back of it.

'So I was thinking, Bolls...' Gene started as he pottered about in the kitchen making tea, his face crinkled slightly in a slight wince waiting for her mumble of acknowledgement before he continued. 'I know that you're probably not going to want to, but the boys asked if we wanted to join us for some drinks tonight' he asked, slowing down the process of making tea so that she had a little bit of time to process what he was asking.

'Oh, Jesus, Gene' she began to moan. 'You promised you wouldn't ask again. You know I hate it there'. She covered her face with her hands and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. She really didn't want to have to have this conversation right now and convince him that she wasn't going to go back to that awful bloody bar.

'Yeah, I know, hear me out Alex' he appeared in the doorway holding two teas and placed them down on the table in front of her. 'I know you didn't like it there, but they're really not bad people. And they wa-'

'Gene. No' she interrupted, dropping her hands from her face and giving him a hard look. She wasn't going to back down over it and the hardness in her eyes made that clear.

'Okay, well how about I go on my own?' he asked hopefully. He had known that he wanted to go all week, he just hadn't got round to asking her. He'd been as nice as he could to her all week in the hopes she'd take it a little nicer, but he could see already it wasn't really working.

'It's a friday night!' she told him trying to keep her tone steady but there was irritation clearly I her voice. 'I thought we were going to spend it in together?'

'I won't exactly be late, Alex. A couple drinks and then I'll be home, it's not like you've never spent an evening by yourself. Have a bath or something. You'll be fine'

'I don't want to 'be fine'! I've had a shitty day and I thought we were going to watch some crappy western or something, relaxing. I didn't think you'd spring this on me' Gene let out a small, bitter laugh.

'Well I'm not exactly 'springing' it on you, am I. I'm saying I'm going to go down the pub for a couple drinks. I don't know why you're bursting a vein about it' Gene stood up to light a cigarette, moving away from Alex as he did so because he knew she hated the smoke. 'What's the problem, Alex? You're never fussy about me going out' Alex let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples lightly. She knew she was probably over reacting and she didn't really have a problem with him going out, she had just been looking forward to spending an evening in with him.

'I know. I'm sorry, I just really wanted you here tonight.' the annoyance had dropped out of her voice and was replaced with tiredness.

'Well, I'm sorry I'm not under your bloody thumb, but I'm going' he told her, taking a drag of the fag hanging from his fingers and flicking the ash into the nearby ashtray. His harsh tone surprised her and she looked up at him sharply.

'Under my thumb? I know full well you're not 'under my thumb'. All I wanted was you here with me tonight with me because I'm absolutely exhausted and I thought we could just have a relaxing evening, but you know what? It's fine. Enjoy your evening' she began to stand and was ready to make her way up the stairs to get away from Gene, but he stopped her in the doorway.

'How the hell are you making me guilty about going out? One evening, Alex. Jesus, you'd think I was crazy if I'd ask you if I could go out with the boys when you were living at Luigi's'

'At Luigi's? We weren't together when I was living there, and I liked the people you were drinking with'

'So you don't like the people I drink with now?' he asked her bluntly. Alex scoffed slightly. What kind of question was that?

'You know full well I don't like them! They're thuggish and I don't trust them - and get that bloody thing out my face' she spat, waving her hand in front of her to clear the smoke that he had blown towards her. Gene frowned at her words.

'Why don't you trust them? You don't know them! You can't use that mental shit that you use to say that they're not trustworthy' Alex moved away from him in disgust and shook her head angrily.

'Oh, you know what? Go to your little friends, sleep around with all the hookers hanging off them, do whatever the fuck you want' the words ripped from her mouth and she turned to walk up the stairs to get away from Gene. The sight of him was making her furious and she knew that it wasn't going to end well if she stayed talking to him. But Gene wasn't ready to just let her walk away from him and say that the argument was over simply because she had decided she was bored of it, and so he followed her, standing at the bottom of the stairs as she walked up them, shouting up at her.

'It's not my flaming fault they don't have a ball and chain waiting for them at home!' he yelled at her, knowing he had said the wrong thing as he steps froze and she slowly turned to stare down at him.

''Ball and chain'?' she repeated, her eyes narrowed and her voice dangerously low. Gene considered what he had said for a second and he had a flutter of regret in his stomach. Ball and chain had been the wrong way of saying it. He didn't see her as someone that was holding him back and stopping him from living his life, but it had all been so sudden. One minute he was free to do whatever he wanted and he had noone to answer to at the end of the day when he dragged home a woman who he'd chatted up at the bar, and the next he was having to ask a woman if it was okay for him to even get to the bar. This wasn't the Gene Hunt that he had known all his life and it was a scary realisation. He liked his life with Alex but would he go back to how it was before he knew her if he had a choice? He honestly didn't know. He gave a heavy sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and collected his thoughts, the pause aggravating Alex more. 'Is that what you see me as?'

'No, I didn't mean that exactly. Christ, okay I didn't mean that. All I mean is that they can do whatever they want without having to run it past someone and it's not my fault they forget that I don't have that anymore'

'And tha's a bad thing? That you're not drinking yourself into a stupour and spending all your money on whores? That's me holding you back is it?' she hissed.

'Bolly I -'

'Don't 'Bolly I' anything, Gene! All I wanted was a relaxing night in with you but you don't want that, and it's fine. Piss off to your precious pub with your fantastic freaking friends and leave me the hell alone' Her clenched jaw and stiff posture told him that there was nothing he would be able to say that would calm her down at that moment and so instead, he climbed the couple of steps that seperated them, gently kissed her cheek pausing for a response that never came, and then turned and walked out the front door.

x-x-x-x

Alex climbed out of the bath slowly, not wanting to leave the now cooling water. It had drained away some of her tension but she was still angry at Gene for what he had said to her. She knew that it was probably spur of the moment, but it didn't mean it hurt any less. Wrapping a towel around her and flicking off the music that she had playing to drown out her thoughts, she began to make her way towards the bedroom but a noise downstairs made her footsteps halt and her ears prick up for any more noises. Someone downstairs was moving about and she could feel her heart beat faster as she realised that it could be anyone. Holding her towel tight around her, she made her way down the stairs as quietly as possible whilst craning her head around the corner and towards where the noise was coming from. It took a moment for her to see who it was that moving around the living room, but her brows furrowed when she did. What was he doing home already?

'Gene, what're you doing' she asked thickly, not wanting to get back into their argument.

'Come 'ere, Bolls' he called. As she made her way into the living room, he flicked off the lights leaving the room lit only by candles that he had scattered around the room. She glanced around to see what he had done to the place and seemed more confused as she looked. On the table was one open bottle and one fresh bottle of wine, two glasses already filled with tantalizing red and an Indian dished out onto two plates. He had moved all the cushions from the couches onto the one sofa so that it was all covered in cushions, making it extra 'snuggly'.

'I was gonna get rose petals and all that nancy bollocks, but that girly shit just didn't really seem like me' he said quietly from where he was stood near the sofa, an awkward air around him. Alex finally let her eyes settle on him and crossed her arms over her chest, her weight shifting to one leg.

'What is this? I thought you were going out tonight?' she asked, her voice flat and still tainted with annoyance.

'I got half way there and you were still in the back of my head making me all annoyed' he told her with the ghost of a smile on his face.

'You seemed pretty set on going to the pub earlier'

'Yeah but then I realised if I brought a bottle of the local plonk, I'd have everything I needed here, didn't I' he told her. The truth was, he had got half way to the pub and knew that if he didn't do something now, she'd be angry at him for anytime between a day to a week and although she had been mad at him before - many times - he really didn't need it at the moment. The case at work was heating up increasing the stress and decreasing his fuse. He really needed Alex at the best over the next week and having an angry Drake on his hands over the weekend was not something that he really wanted. So he had brought some food and a couple bottles of wine, rented a DVD that he thought she'd like and come home to light some candles. Alex shifted her weight, looking around her. She knew that she had overreacted earlier and she was partially in the wrong, and to see Gene making an effort to provide her with the relaxing evening that she had wanted so much. Neither of them said anything as Alex looked around at the candlelit room and Gene kept his eyes trained on her to see how to play the evening. He slowly saw the hard set of her eyes soften a little and her arms weren't wrapped around her so tightly.

'I'm still mad at you, Gene' she said eventually.

'I'm still mad at you, Alex' he replied, a tiny hint of laughter in his voice. He slowly made his way towards her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him and kissing her temple. 'I am sorry. Again' he told her quietly. Alex glanced up at him and nodded slightly. 'I always seem to be sorry lately'.

'That's because you're always a wanker' she grumbled. Gene began to pull her over to the sofa and pushed her down into the pile of cushions that he had made, tucking them around her legs that she had quickly pulled up under her. He then slipped the video into the video player and made his way back to the sofa to sit with her. Instead of curling up together as they usually would, they ate and drank in near silence, their eyes focused only on the film that played on the TV and it wasn't until Alex drifted off to sleep and shifted so that she was lying down more comfortable position that they touched at all. Gene sighed as he looked down at her sleeping form, he head now in his lap, and the oversized jumped that she had slipped on before they started eating so she wasn't just in a towel riding up her thighs slightly. Her pale, flawless skin was showing and he traced a finger lightly along her thigh momentarily before carefully reaching out to pull the hem of her jumper down further, covering her more and then resting his hand lightly on her shoulder as he, too, drifted off to sleep.


	8. Salvador Dali

A/N Gosh! I've not updated this in what seems like the longest time due to a mix of the dreaded writers block and having a lot of course work that needed to be handed in (which now has and so I'm free for the summer! Finally!) So I'm sorry about the delay and I hope to be updating again reglarly!

All reviews are as welcome as Gene Hunt in my house, and I love hearing your thoughts on this little fic!

This chapter is a mix of fluff and angst, and I really hope you enjoy it. Thanks for keeping with this, fellas!

MBRB'xoxo

The next morning, Alex woke up with the comfortable weight of Gene's arm slung over her waist and his hand rested on her hip lightly. With her back to him, Alex slowly pulled herself from her dreams and focused on the soft circles that were being rubbed on her hipbone and shifted slightly as she came round more. Gene realised by her movements that she was waking up and lightly brought a hand up to shift a couple of strands of hair out of her face that he could see were falling in her half-closed eyes.

"Morning" he whispered gently into the morning air. Alex twisted her head to see him looking down at her

'Heya' she half smiled. She was still annoyed at him about the previous night, but his warm arms around her and his efforts at trying to make it up to her had been appreciated and, as she had found a long time ago, Gene was like a drug to her - addicting and even though he wasn't always good for her, she'd always come back for more. She wasn't sure when, but at some time during the night she had felt herself be scooped into his arms off of the sofa that she had fallen asleep on and, with a whisper of 'it's getting late', had been placed gently on the bed and the duvet tucked around her.

'Thought we could go out today' he told her, turning her body in his arms and kissing her cheek. He knew she was still a bit mad at him about the previous night and so had thought that a day out with her being all soppy and massaging her ego would go down well, ensuring him an easier week and sparing her voice from the inevitable shouting if she was stressed during the week.

'Oh yeah?' Alex asked. Maybe a day out would be nice, to rid themselves of the tension between them. 'Where?'

'Anywhere you like. Some nancy cafe? The park? Whereever' Alex let a small smile creep across her face.

'That'd be nice'

x-x-x-x

They had eventually decided that they'd spend some time wandering around London in the more hidden areas of the cities and so Alex had dressed in her skin tight jeans, a simple comfy jumper and heeled boots. As they were leaving, Gene had made a comment about her wearing heels when she knew she would be walking all day and Alex had told him she was so used to them now, they didn't even bother her. And now, as they made their way through a narrow hidden backstreet crammed with small brick'a'brack shops filled with trinkets and hidden treasures she smiled at the small disapproving look that Gene occasionally shot her feet as they clattered on the uneven paving.

'Ohhh, Gene look!' She exclaimed, her nose practically pressed up against the glass of a particularly 'kooky' looking shop. She was pointing at a shelf which had a clock perched on the edge of it, appearing to be dripping over the side, it's numbers slightly distorted by the curves it had acquired since 'melting'. It's metal edging was old-looking and tarnished and Alex's eyes lit up as she looked at it, taking in ever detail. Gene, however, wasn't so enthused.

'What'm I supposed to be looking at?' He asked, his eyes glancing right over the clock and jumping from one object to another that sat in the shop window, wondering what it was she could be so enthralled by. Alex tutted loudly.

'The clock!' She said, pointing to it. 'It's like it's straight out of The Persistence of Memory!' She told him, turning to look at him with a smile.

'The what now?' He asked with a small frown line between his brows, his hands shoved in his pockets and a pout firmly on his lips. Alex rolled her eyes.

'The Persistence of Memory. It's a painting by Dali' Gene still looked blank. 'Salvador Dali? The painter? He was a surrealist?' Nothing. 'The one with all the clocks melting over things?' A faint spark of recognition lit in Gene's eyes and he mumbled a soft - and only semi-convincing - 'ohhh' before adding 'Come on, Bolls. We're not gonna spend the rest of the day staring at a faulty clock' he told her as he gently tugged her away from the window as she laughed slightly and began to tell him it wasn't faulty, it was supposed to be like that, but quickly realised he wasn't listening and so let a comfortable silence fall over them and took ahold of his hand.

As Gene began to mumble about being hungry and so Alex pointed out a little cafe that caught her eye in one of the many long, high walled and narrow streets they passed down. It was only a small place, with bits and bobs lining the walls giving it a eclectic feel like it was a patchwork place made up of thrown together wallpapers and themes, but Alex loved it as soon as she saw it and Gene didn't mind where the hell they ate as long as there was some half decent food. As Alex had a steaming cup of coffee placed in front of her and Gene took a bite from his ploughmans, a lul in the conversation caused an uncomfortable silence to fall between them. After stirring two sugars into her coffee and keeping her eyes firmly trained on her mug, Alex took a deep breath and quietly said;

"Are we going to talk about last night?' Gene paused from the bite that he was taking for a second before he continued to chew, aware that she was waiting for an answer. Swallowing, he met her eyes.

'I don't know, are we?' A small ghost of a smile crossed her lips and she dropped her eyes back to her mug as she paused to think for a second.

'I think perhaps we should' she really didn't want to but to have it hanging between them was horrific and the longer it was left unsaid, the worse it would be when they eventually turned and faced it. ' I didn't mean to overreact about you going to pub and I don't want you to think that I'm the overly clingy type who needs to be with you 24/7, because I'm not. I was just pissed off last night and I wanted to spend an evening in with you.' She ended her sentence feebly with an apologetic little smile and paused before she carried on. 'But I still can't believe you said what you did, Gene' she told him, trying to prompt him into speaking and telling her his thoughts on the events of the evening.

'I didn't mean it, Bolly' he told her with a tired sigh. She nodded her head and Gene tried to stop the ball of annoyance forming in his stomach. He had known that she would want to talk about it at some point - this was Alex after all - but did she really have to do it when they were finally having a decent time, and in a café that he was feeling sifficiently uncomfortable in anyway, the girly ornamnets lining the walls making him feel out of place and oversized compared to their dainty nature. It was the kind of place that Alex fitted so well into - old fashioned and 'vintage' with small details that had been overthought about and Gene's bulk and borish manner didn't really fit in too well and so having a conversation that he wasn't comfortable about was not made easier by their setting.

'I know you didn't but you said it, Gene, and as a psychologist I know that even things said in the 'spur of the moment' have their underlying truths' and it was this that had cut Alex so deep the night before. As the words had fallen from his mouth, she had almost been able to see him trying to claw them back and his insistence that he didn't mean it made it just that little bit more painful. She knew that a lot of hometruths come out in the heat of the moment and that most of the things that are said are things that have been thought and just not spoken aloud and so hearing herself being referred to as a 'ball and chain' was devastating.

'Trust you to bring up that psychoshit' he mumbled, trying to make his words a little lighter by rolling his eyes and shooting her a half smile, but it didn't really work. A heavy sigh left Gene and he considered his words carefully before he spoke. 'I don't see you as a ball and chain, Bolly. I told you that last night. You're just...' he scrabbled around in his mind for the right way of saying it 'you're just more than I've had for a long long time. And it's not routine for me to have someone to answer to yet, or someone to ask where I'm going. I'll work on it. But I didn't mean it.' The ball of frustration tied a few more knots in his stomach and in the silence that followed his words, Gene concentrated on untangling it a little. He knew that he had been partially at fault and that the things that he had said and the way that he had acted was not exactly great for having a stable and loving relationship, but the fact that he had had to apologise her more times in the last 2 weeks than he had anyone in his entire life was really starting to piss him off. He didn't want to be that guy who was always grovelling for forgiveness from the other half and he had never had to apologise so much to Alex before she had moved in with him. In those days, she would storm off to her flat above Luigi's and refuse to answer the door to him until the next day where they would both work it out whilst in CID because they had to and then he'd buy her a drink in the evening and, usually, all would be forgotten because with the simple gesture of buying her a drink was enough for her - she understood that it was his own way of saying sorry and her accepting it was her way of accepting that apology. But now? There was no door for her to slam and refuse to open and there was no little italian bar for him to buy her a drink in. The dynamic of their relationship was slowly changing and it was something Gene was finding himself resenting. Alex had also sensed the gradual change in the way that they worked and it worried her more than she liked to admit, preferring to think that it was the upheaval of their lives and once they were more settled, things would go back to how they used to be. She glanced up at Gene now and sipped her coffee before she spoke.

'It'shard for me too. But it'll get easier' he nodded in reply, hoping that she was right.

x-x-x-x-x-x

As they walked through the door of the house that afternoon, Gene placed the bags down on the kitchen table and began to unpack the odd bits that they had picked up on their way home. As Alex joined him by his side to help, the small frown line between her brows didn't budge.

'But you were gone for ages! How can you loose someone for 25 minutes in a supermarket? Even kids are found quicker than that!'

'You should have reported me to the woman at the desk and got them to call me over the speaker thing' Gene said with a little laugh as Alex shot him a sarcastic smile.

'That would have gone down well' she put on a nasal voice as she said ''Would Gene Hunt please come to cashier number 2' I don't think so. Where were you? And don't say in the dairy section again, because I checked there!'

'Bloody hell, woman! A man can do no right with you moaning in his ear! Here!' he excalimed, placing a box in front of her, making Alex stop her questions aprubtly and causing her to look at the white box with complete confusion.

'What's this?' she asked, realising that it was a daft question as soon as she had said it, as did Gene by the looks of his rolled eyes.

'Open it, you daft tart' As she pulled the lid open of the white cardboard box, her face split into a grin and she turned to Gene with her shoulders slumped and a soppy smile across her face before she had even taken it out of the box.

'Thank you' she told him gently as she placed a soft kiss on his lips and then turned to admire the Dali clock that he had snuck off to buy her.


	9. Heated discussions

**A/n Thank you so much for the support of this fic. I was really struggling with this chapter, but I hope it turned out okay and you all enjoy it! **

**Your thoughts are always appreciated! ;) **

**MBRB'xoxo**

x-x-x-x

"Jesus Christ, Gene. He's not telling us everything that he knows! It's written all over his face!' Alex yelled as she followed Gene through the front door, slamming it firmly behind her and throwing her bag down on the table in the hall with fury right next to the keys that Gene had slammed down moments before.

'Not every bloody case is as complicated as you wish it to be, Bolly. The man shot 'imself. Got in a tonne of debt, realised he was up shit creek without a paddle and put a bullet in his head. There's no case. No investigation. No flaming murder. Just one woman with one less child and a poor bastard who needs to shovel the brains off the floor of that hotel room, okay?' he gulped down the glass of whiskey that he had poured as he had been trying to stop himself shouting the words at Alex and instead keep his voice level. He had, in fact, failed and as Alex stood in the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed and chest heaving, he rolled his eyes. It was the first time that they had brought their working arguments home and he knew that this one wasn't going to go away too easily.

A suicide had been called in early that morning and the prospect of a whole load of paperwork that he would need to fill out was not a happy one for Gene but they had gone to the scene none-the-less and found exactly what they had been expecting - white male in his mid 20s with the inside of his head decorating the walls and a gun lying happily in the palm of his hand. Gene had taken one glance at the body and had decided that it was case closed. This was suicide and that was that. Alex, however, had seen the young man with everything to live for and had wondered what it was that could have caused him to blow his brains out in a rather expensive hotel room. After trying to bring it up with Gene and being shot down numerous times, Alex had spent the rest of the day looking into the life of Matthew Hunter. She had found out that he had gotten himself into reasonably high debt with the local dealers and had decided that she'd ask a couple questions to his mother whilst delivering the death message. Ruth Hunter had turned out to be a middle-class single mother who doted on her son and was devastated that he had supposedly killed himself. She swore up and down that it was not his style and Matthew was one of those people who, no matter how hard times got, loved living. She had told Alex that there was no way in hell that he had killed himself and had begged her to find out who had taken her son away from her.

'Any woman with a junkie son is going to deny that their precious child has blown themselves to kingdom come' Gene had sighed as she stepped into his office and began to explain that this may not be as open and close that he had originally thought.

'She won't believe it, Gene. She told me that he loved living. He had a girlfriend who he adored and a group of friends that he thought the world of. She says he wouldn't have done that to them. She said he seemed fine when he came to see her yesterday. She said th-'

'She said, she said, she said, Bolly. Did she, by any chance, say that he was up to his eyeballs in debts and needles?' Gene had asked impatiently, waiting for an answer and then turning back to his paperwork when it didn't come. Alex perched on the edge of his desk and took a deep, calming breath before speaking.

'That's another thing. She said he was clean. He called her everyday and came to see her at least 3 times a week because he only lived around the corner and she had never, not _once_, seen any sign that he was on something' The pointed look that's he was giving him caused Gene to roll his eyes and throw his pen down onto his desk.

'Are you telling me that he didn't owe his local dealers more money than he could earn in a year?'

'No bu-'

'And are you denying that we have seen numerous cases before where a teenager has got themselves in trouble and taken the easy way out?'

'Of course not, bu-'

'I don't want to hear any more about this, Alex. I know you want to be there bloody hero every day of your life and catch the baddie - we all do - but there's no baddie here, Bolls. The bad guy is already splattered over a wall so shut ya lipstick and go do some flaming work' he sniffed haughtily for good measure and then gave out a pissed off sigh as he glanced down and saw his pen had left a nice black ink stain over his forms where he had thrown it down. As Alex stood up and made her way to the door she felt her jaw clenching and tension building in her shoulder. She knew that there was something off about this 'suicide' and she was determind to get to the bottom of it and Gene being a twat was not going to stop her from doing so.

'Bloody woman' she heard him mutter as she was about to open the door of his office and her blood instantly boiled and before she knew it, she was spinning on her heels and fixing Gene with a cold stare.

'You know what, Guv. Do not 'bloody woman' me because YOU threw your pen down and because I want to actually do what the police are _supposed_ to do and investigate a possible murder' the room was in momentary silence as Gene took in her words before he very slowly stood up from his desk and made his way to the space right in front of Alex, his chest puffed out and eyes shining.

'I have told you before, Drake. This is not a murder and you're wasting police time by 'investigating' it'

'It's not a waste of time!' they were nose to nose again and were drawing the attention of the rest of CID who loved a good Hunt-Drake argument to liven the day up.

'Yes it flaming is! And I forbid you to do anymore for this case. You bring the file to me right now and then you sit your arse down at your desk and go through missing persons reports for the Moore case' Alex's look of indignation was one that would have made a lesser man stand down and let her do what she wanted, but not Gene. In reply, Alex ripped open the door of his office and stormed through the checkered CID, throwing a killer look at Webber as she passed her desk which promptly wiped the smug smile off her face.

'Inspector Drake. Where the hell are you going? Drake. _DRAK_E' but she didn't look back and the slam of his office door signalled to the rest of the team that the argument was now over and they would have to keep their heads down for the rest of the day.

Gene had only seen Alex in passing for the rest of the day and was perfectly aware that she was going against his orders and interviewing, but he had decided that he was going to let the stubborn cow do what the hell she wanted. She was a law unto herself and his options were to a)spend his entire day screaming at her to do what he says and for her to go ahead and do it anyway or B) let her do what she wants in the first place and save himself a whacking great headache. And so he had sat back and watched with one eye on CID and one eye on her as she had brought in the kids bedraggled looking girlfriend and his bedraggled looking girlfriends current boyfriend - it seems teenagers move on fast when it comes to the ways of love. She had filled him in as she had climbed in the passenger seat of the Quattro, saying how the girlfriend didn't seem to be too crazy about Matthew and her and her other fella appeared to be pretty close. She also told him how it wouldn't surprise her if it was the girlfriend, Samantha, who was the addict and her boyfriend seemed to know far more than he was letting on. Which was exactly how it came about that Gene and Alex came home with both of them being pretty pissed off. Alex was sre that she was on to something and was furious that Gene wasn't giving her the time of day, and Gene was livid that she was still flaming well talking.

'Alright Gene. One more question and then I'll let this thing drop' she told him through gritted teeth, moving further into the kitchen as he poured himself another drink. 'Why, if he was going to kill himself, would he pay for a fancy hotel room that he can't afford, just so that he could kill himself in it?' Gene looked down at her, his chin raised slightly and his eyes narrowed. He sniffed before saying;

'Because he wanted to go out with a bang' he said, his eyes brows raised with slight humor at the irony of his words. But Alex didn't find them funny. Letting out a furious scream, she turned away from Gene with her hands twisted in her hair for a second before turning back to him and glaring at him, fuming.

'No. No, I'll tell you why he did that, Gene. He wanted to impress that girlfriend of his and so spent money he didn't have to please her. And my theory is, it wasn't Samantha who turned up, but her other boyfriend who blew his brains out, wiped his prints and then put the gun in his hand so that the half-wit officer that was assigned the case would think it was suicide' She breathed heavily, her eyes flashing as she realised that she was now stood directly in front of Gene and they were nose to nose once more.

'Did you just call me a half-wit, Inspector?' he asked, his voice dangerously low and controlled. It was in that second that Alex knew she had overstepped the mark. She let out a little exhastperated sigh as she said

'No, I didn't mean-'

'Oh I think you did. And I'll tell you what, Drake. I've had about enough of you today. I specifically told you to drop this case and get on with the work you were supposed to be doing, and yet you, DI Drake, decided that in my kingdom, my word is not law. In fact, my word means _nothing_ and so you decided to defy me and go ahead with dragging people in for interviews. Do you really think that's proper conduct? Or is it that you think that because you're shagging me, you can get away with disrespecting your senior officers orders?' his hands were firmly planted in his pockets and his shoulders were back, demanding attention and courtesy.

'I did not 'disrespect' you' she told him stubbornly. She resented him saying that she was taking liberties because they were sharing a bed. 'And I would have done the same thing to any senior officer. The only difference is, any other DCI wouldn't have completely shot me down, and wouldn't have been so flaming pig-headed and would have listened to what I was saying!'

'They wouldn't have listened to you because you were speaking a load of bollocks!'

'Ohhh, fuck off Gene!' she yelled at him, finally having enough of him. She could feel the anger radiating off him and if she hadn't been so tightly wound herself, she would probably have tried to calm him down with soothing words and quiet tones, but as it was, she was highly pissed off. As she turned away from him and headed for the kitchen doorway, she ignored his demands that she stay where she was and not turn her back on him but as she felt his hand tightly wrap around her wrist and felt her body be sharply turned to face him, she had no choice but to 'stay where she was' and listen to what he was saying.

'You are going to stay here and listen to me, Drake. Just because you come into work with your low cut tops and your hooker heels does not give you the right to do whatever the fuck you want. Today was the last time that you are going to be able to waltz around like it's you who owns the place and not me and that starts _right_ now' he fumed, jabbing a finger at the floor to indicate 'now'.

'We're not at work. I am not beneath you now, Gene. We're equal as soon as we step out that office' she shouted at him, her face milimeters from his.

'Wrong. You've brought this shit home, you've brought work into the house, you're responsible for this. My house. My car. My rules. You woman, me man' he spat at her, his grip on her wrist tightening as he shook her slightly by the grip that he had on her. She felt herself become blinded with fury at his words, his sexist comment taking only a splitsecond to sink in before she felt her hand whipping up and catching him sharply around his cheek, filling the room with a loud cracking noise and shocking them both into silence. The silence was only breif as Alex yelped, feeling herself being yanked towards him and then slammed backwards against the wall of the kitchen, the air being forced from her lungs on impact and the sight of Gene's fist being raised and coming towards her. It was the combination of her loud yelp and her terrified eyes that brought him quickly to his senses and stopped him dead in his tracks. His breath came quickly and forcing its way across her face as he tried to get a grip of his temper. Alex stood stone still as he let out a frustrated growl and slammed his fist into the wall next to her shoulder and then fixed his eyes on her once more.

'I wouldn't hit you, Alex' he said, his shoulders slumping and his grip on her wrist loosening as he ran both his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes, his head screaming at him 'but you almost did, didn't you?'. Her deafening silence was worse to him than anything she could have said and he found himself wishing that she was shouting at him uncontrollably again. 'I wouldn't' he repeated in almost a whisper, dropping his hands from his face and staring into her eyes which were still wide. He could see her chest heaving and her hands shaking as they hung by her side, but she still didn't say anything. Gene turned and stepped away from her and braced himself against the counter that he was now infront of, hanging his head before he spoke once more. In a voice so quiet she barely heard it, he said;

'What's happening to us, Bolls?' He wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or if he was expecting a reply, but he still found himself surprised when she broke the awful silence that stretched between them with a scared and broken whisper.

'I don't know'


	10. What Might Have Been

**A/n So this was going to be the last chapter, but it kind of turned into it. I think this is a nice place to leave them and finish this little fic of mine. It was a little different for me, and hopefully the next fic I write will be a little cheerier, but I hope that you've all enjoyed it none-the-less, and if you could spare a second to write a little review in the handy box provided below, please do. I would love to hear what you think of this one, because as I've said, it was a little different for me! A**

**Anyway. Thank you to all those who read, favourited, followed and reviewed! It's been said before and it'll be said again, but it's so ****_so _****appreciated!**

**MBRB'xoxo**

That evening, Alex and Gene both lay in bed with their backs to eachother in a bitter silence that was engulfing them both and pulling them into an awkwardness that they had never experienced with eachother, even after their most heated of arguments. Alex felt a small tingle of an itch on the side of her stomach but resisted the urge to scratch it so as not to draw attention to herself. She wanted Gene to think that she was asleep and that he was imagining the dreadful feel of the room and she knew he was trying to do the same, but their falsley slow breathing and complete rigidness made it clear that they were both playing at being asleep and that in reality, they were both lying with their minds racing a mile a minute trying to avoid making even the slightest movement. Time seemed to stretch on forever as they lay together, eyes wide open listening to the occasional car passing by and the sound of the house settling for the night until Gene couldn't stand the nothingness any more. He turned ever so slightly and glanced in the direction of Alex's side of the bed.

'You awake, Bolls?' he asked in almost a whisper which sounded deafening compared to the previous lack of noise. After waiting for a reply and receiving none, Gene settled back into his pillow and let out a tiny sigh. 'Me neither.'

x-x-x-x-x

The ride to work the next day had been equally as horrific, with them both climbing in after pottering around the house with only the minimum amount of communication required. The odd 'could you pass the milk' or 'Ready?' being passed between them, but there was none of the usual banter and teasing jibes that they had both grown accustomed to. The first thing Alex had done after entering CID the morning after their argument was to ask if there had been any updates on the Hunter case and, after being told that there hadn't been, she had slammed her way over to her desk, thrown her coat across the back of her chair and collapsed into it with a sigh. She just knew that there was more to this case than was meeting the eye and she was determined to find out what it was, but it had caused such a strain on her relationship with Gene after just a single day and the thought was crossing her mind that perhaps it really wasn't worth it. After another week and a half of trying to gain information from the girlfriend, Samantha, and her new boyfriend Christian, she had begrudgingly admitted to herself that perhaps it was a suicide and she was over-complicating things. As they had walked through the doors of CID that Thursday and she did not immediately asked for any new information, Gene had shot her a surprised look and stood above her desk as she settled herself down for the day.

'No demand for news today, Bolls?' he had asked, his eyebrows raised.

'Not today, Guv' she replied, not meeting his eyes and keeping her gaze firmly fixed on the pen that she had picked up, trying to let off a calm and professional vibe but knowing that she wasn't really succeeding. She could feel the smugness oozing off him and her teeth were clenching with the thought of his victorious bloody face.

'Ahh, what a surprise, DI Drake' he said with mock shock. 'And here was me thinking that you'd keep up your damn enquiries for at least another week yet. Oh well, looks like you're willing to admit defeat quicker than expected' she heard him move away from her desk and the mumbled of laughter that shot around CID made her blood boil as she sensed all eyes on her.

'Bastard'

'I heard that, Drake. Learn a little respect please' the slam of his office door made her flinch ever so slightly as her jaw clenched. Flaming jackass. Ever since their argument, there had been an icy air between them that just wouldn't seem to thaw. They had worked well together on the Moore case and the other minor cases that had cropped up, but as soon as they got home, dinner would be eaten in near silence and the TV turned on to drown out the screaming noise of bitterness. Alex tended to go up to bed earlier than Gene, leaving him to drown himself in scotch as she tried to fall asleep before he came up to bed so she wouldn't have to face their new nightly routine of trying not to let their skin touch. She never managed it and was always awake when he slipped into bed next to her and rolled to face the wall. The previous Monday, Gene had grabbed her hand as she had leant down and kissed his cheek goodnight in an attempt to fool them both into thinking the cracks in their relationship weren't as cavernous as they both knew they were. His cool fingers had wrapped themselves around hers and their eyes had met. He had hoped that she would see the needy spark that he felt for her deep down, but instead she just saw blank indifference which filled her with sadness - weren't the eyes the windows to the soul after all? - and so she had ever so softly squeezed his hand in response and then turned, pulling away from him as she walked. That evening, she had stopped as she reached the doorway and turned to look at him sat on his own on the sofa and she gave him a small smile that was laced with sadness.

'Night Gene'

'Night Alex'

Everyone in the office knew that there was something wrong between them; it had been impossible to ignore. They no longer laughed together as they walked through the corridors of Fenchurch East, he barely ever called her into his office (and if it did, she never lingered), the call of 'Drake' as Gene made his way to the Quattro to pick someone up was now a command and not an invitation...it all made for a very different Fenchurch CID. Any outsider probably wouldn't have known a difference. Here was a CID that got results and respected the hierarchy of power, but anyone who had been witness to the close relationship that Bolly and Hunt had once had would have easily have noticed the difference and although not many of them liked Alex, they all hoped that they would make up soon as to ease the tension that was flying around.

x-x-x-x-x

The next morning was equally as frosty as Gene and Alex walked through the double doors once again. They were looking to a relatively easy day, hoping that nothing major would ring through meaning they would be left with only a couple of minor cases. Alex, however, was startled to see a shabby looking blonde sitting in her seat as she made her way over to her desk.

'Taking in the dregs of society now, Bolly?' Gene asked snidely as he passed her and entered his office.

'Ignore him. What can I do for you, Samantha?' she asked, turning to the teen who was sat with her head in her hands. As she turned to look up at Alex, it was clear that she'd spent the last couple of hours at the very least hysterically crying her eyes out. Red, puffy rings circled her eyes and her hands were visibly shaking as she tried in vain to wipe her face clean.

'He... he t-told me that I couldn't speak to... to you, b-but I need to... talk. You have to h-help me' she gasped through sobs that wracked her body. Alex was alarmed at the desperation written all over the young girls face and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, beginning to guide her towards the doors and to the privacy of an interview room.

'Where do you think you're going, Drake?' she turned to see Gene stood in the doorway of his office, his hands tucked into his pockets and his lips in a pissed-off pout.

'Looks like the Hunter case had reopened, Guv' she replied, her eyes communicating the smug feeling that was filling her up, despite the fact her heart was ripping apart for the poor girl clinging to her.

'Fan-bloody-tastic' Gene snapped, retreating to his office and pouring a large glass and downing it in one.

x-x-x-x

'Take your time, Sam' Alex told her softly, perching on the edge of the desk in Interview room 2. She had spent a while calming the girl down so that she could form coherent sentences and had allowed her to tidy herself up a little but she was now dying to know what the hell was going on. She hadn't seemed the most together of people when she had spoken to her before, but she hadn't been the wreck that was sat before her now.

'He's going to kill me for being here' her voice was a broken croak and Alex put a finger under her chin and lifted her head so she could see her eyes before she replied.

'Who is, Sam? Christian?' Christian Jones was the boyfriend that Samantha had been with since Matthew died and Alex was convinced that he knew more than he was letting on. He had seemed like a thugish brute when she had interviewed him and she had told Samantha that she should seriously consider getting as far away from him as she could, but it seemed that her words of advice had fallen on deaf ears. Samantha's nod confirmed that it was Christian she now feared. Alex took a deep breath. 'Okay, lets start from the beginning, shall we?'

'It was me, not Matthew. I'm the one that's addicted. He never touched the stuff' Samantha whispered with her head lowered once more, staring intently at the floor of the interview room. 'We've known eachother since we were little and he was always crazy about me, but I love Christian. Matthew was always so nice to me that I let him think we could be something more because I didn't want to be horrible by telling him he was wasting his time, but it was always Christian for me' she paused and met Alex's eyes. Alex nodded, encouraging her to continue. With a deep breath, Samantha began speaking again 'Christian was always trying out whatever he found when we went out - and I mean anything. I never used to like him doing drugs, but eventually he convinced me to try it and he got me hooked. But I can't afford it and he doesn't want to 'waste his money' on me, so he convinced me to hook up with Matthew and get him to buy it for us. Matthew was always working so he had the money and he'd do anything for me' her eyes saddened at the thought of Matthew and she shifted in her seat, crossing one arm across her stomach and rubbing her bicep awkwardly.

'So you were with Christian, but Matthew didn't know?' Samantha nodded. 'And he was buying you - what? Cocaine?' she nodded again. 'Alright, carry on' Alex told her, roughly scribbling down notes on a pad of paper she had leant against her knee.

'Matt showered me with presents and brought me anything I wanted, and I didn't even think about it at the time. I knew that he was getting into debt by spending all his money on me, but it didn't seem real, if you know what I mean? It didn't seem like the money he was spending was real and even when he'd say he didn't have any money, he'd still manage to buy me a couple grams so I guess I assumed he was exaggerating? I don't know' her eyes filled with tears as she carried on 'He left me a note a couple of weeks ago telling me to meet him at the Royal Standard hotel - the one he was found at? - at 7pm that Wednesday, but Chris had got wind that he was going to propose to me and went crazy. He told me not to go and he would instead. He said that 'he'd sort the little fucker out' and I thought he was just going to rough him up a bit' guilt was written all over her face and Alex felt all trace of pity leave her as she listened to what the girl was saying.

'You knew Christian was going to meet Matthew ? But you said Christian knew you were in a relationship with Matthew too?' Samantha nodded once more.

'I told you, it was his idea. But he was still jealous. He'd let me see him because he wanted the coke as much as I did, but he didn't like me seeing him and when he thought he was going to propose to me, he went mental. Chris's always hated Matt'

'So you just let him go and meet Matthew knowing he'd beat him up at the very least?' the tears finally spilled down Samanthas cheeks as Alex spoke and she swiped them away furiously.

'I didn't think he'd kill him!'

'But he did?' Alex prompted, sensing her definitive answer was close.

'Yes' it was a whisper, but it was there.

'Why're you telling me this now, Sam? I interviewed you multiple times over the last weeks and you've been adamant that Christian was innocent in all this. Samantha sobbed quietly and tried to regain control of her emotions.

'I told him I missed Matthew. I didn't love him, but I've known him all my life and he didn't deserve to die. He was a good guy, Alex. It's partly my fault he's dead. I practically killed him' she was crying again now, fat tears cascading down her cheeks and Alex found herself unable to comfort her and tell her everything was okay and it wasn't her fault.

'I'm going to go speak to my DCI and I'll be back in a minute, Sam, okay?' she waited for the nod of understanding and then left the room with her heels clattering along the corridors.

x-x-x-x-x

'I was right' she told him triumphantly, leaning on his desk as she had done so many times in the past, her hands spread wide and her weight shifted forward. Gene looked up from the paper he had in his hands, an unimpressed look across his face.

'And what would that be about, Drakey?'

'Matthew Hunter _was_ killed. He didn't commit suicide, Guv. His girlfriends making a full confession in Room 2' Gene studied her face, taking in the small smile playing at her lips and the glimmer in her eye that hadn't been there for the last couple of weeks.

'She admitted that she killed him?' he asked her flatly, ignoring the hint of pride that he felt for her at knowing the case wasn't as simple as it seemed.

'No, she told me her boyfriend did it'

'Her boyfriend? You mean the dead one? That would be a suicide, Bollinger' Gene explained slowly, rolling his eyes. Alex, however, pushed herself from his desk and crossed her arms with exhasperation.

'_No_, her _other_ boyfriend. The one I told you about numerous times before. Christian. Do you _never_ listen to me?' Gene dropped his feet from where they had been propped up on his desk and sat up at his desk.

'I try my best not to. So well done, Bolly. Detective of the year goes to DI Drake for spotting a crime. Drinks on you' he gave her a smug smile that churned her stomach and she shook her head with annoyance, turning on her heels with an incomplete 'Oh, you know what, Gene...' and walked out his office without looking back. Gene had known it would wind her up but he really had had enough of hearing about this bloody case and had been thrilled when she had finally decided to drop it. The last thing he needed was it to be dragged up again and for her to be proved right after all. She was a bloody good detective and her instinct had told her that something was wrong when she had walked into that crime scene. He had always told her to listen to her gut and she had. And she had been right. Fan-flamin-tastic.

x-x-x-x-x

That evening, Alex cooked them both a simple salad and jacket potatoe dish, ignoring Gene's rolled eyes and mumbles about rabbit food being on his plate. As they ate, he had placed his knife and fork down and steepled his fingers as he looked at her intently. His firm gaze made her look up and pause eating as she asked him what it was he was looking at.

'Just you, Bolls. I didn't say it earlier, but... well done' She hadn't been expecting it, and the small gap of silence that she left told him that.

'For what?' she asked him.

'For knowing that there was something off. Used your instinct, didn't you. And you were right. A kids Mum is going to know what happened to her boy and why he was taken from her and that's because of you. I'm proud of you' Alex's eyebrows raised in surprise as she took in what he had said and she opened and closed her mouth a little twice before giving him a soft smile and looking down at her dinner plate, prodding a lettace leaf with her fork a little.

'Thank you' she whispered before spearing the leaf and continuing to eat.

x-x-x-x-x

That evening, as Gene slipped into bed an hour and a half after Alex had gone up, he felt the uneasiness that had filled the room fall over them once more. He was sick of it. A week and a half and they had barely strung 10 words together, let alone had a conversation. He had found the nights the worst and it was pissing him right off that he couldn't pin point the exact feeling that was in the pit of his stomach as he pulled the duvet over him each night. Annoyance? Not really. Sadness? Well there was an element of that, certainly, but not completely. Loneliness? They'd gone from being inseperable to never touching so yes, he was lonely, but no, that wasn't it either. He just couldn't work it out. As he rolled to face away from Alex, he heard her sigh softly and then let out a very tiny cough. God, he hated this. Living together but acting like strangers. It was this thought that urged Gene to roll to face her, ignore her stiffening slightly and reach over to move her hair away from her neck. Her skin seemed so icy under his and it struck him that he didn't remember having ever thought that she seemed so cold before. She had always seemed so warm to him, her skin oozing heat and … Alex'ness. As he leant forward and pressed his lips to her neck gently, he could feel her shift ever so slightly and her shoulder move up, blocking his access a little. Gene ignored her actions and continued pressing gentle kisses to her smooth skin, but stopped when she turned to face him more. She gave him a small awkward smile and reached for the hand that had snaked around her waist, holding it and moving it back to his side of the bed, carefully placing it by his side. She leant forward and kissed his lips ever so lightly and then returned to her place in bed, looking at him with sad eyes.

'Not tonight, hey' she whispered, her words seeming louder in the quiet of their bedroom. Gene nodded, but the feeling that had alluded him suddenly came crashing down upon his ears. Regret. Regret for a thousand things. He regretted the way that their relationship had broken down so quickly, turning from idilic to catastrophic in a matter of hours and here they were in the same bed yet galaxies apart. How a few choice decisions on both their parts had brought them to their knees when they had been through so much to be together in the first place. He regretted the ridiculous amount of times that he had hurt her - before and after they were together and he regretted, most of all, that he had allowed the uncomfortable knowledge that they were beyond repair settle firmly in his stomach. And what did she regret? She regretted that the same feeling had settled in hers. After she had stepped out of the Railway Arms and away from Nelson, she had assumed that things would be easier. They both knew how they felt about the other and they knew what it was to have that chance ripped from them. They had been given a second chance and she had nievely thought that it would now be a dreamy ride of kisses and hearts and Dali clocks. She didn't know that their time was, in fact, still running out and that being together would be just as much work as being apart wasl. As they both lay their on their backs staring into the darkness at the ceiling they could barely see, the silence shifted from one that was uncomfortable, to one that was sad and definitive.

'Why don't you tell me you love me anymore, Gene?' she whispered into the night. Gene took a while to think about her question. He thought of the first time he'd said it, the times he'd said it since and then he struggled to remember the last time he'd said the words 'I love you' to her. He couldn't pin point the exact time, but he knew it had been a while.

'I do' was all he told her, trying to sidestep the question. It may have worked on another woman, but Alex Drake had had enough experience with people avoiding the subject to know when someone was trying to leave a question unanswered.

'You do say it, or you do love me?' he could feel her eyes gazing at him as she turned her head to face him, but pointedly kept his eyes on the ceiling and left the silence to answer her questions. A couple of seconds later, Alex let out a small sigh and turned her head once more to look into the darkness as well. She felt surprisingly numb, cold inside instead of the heat and pain she knew she should be feeling and as she acknowledged the numbness, she found herself surprisingly indifferent to that too.

'Why don't you say it, Gene?' she repeated, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice.

Silence again. Silence that should be painful and full of mourning and sorrow but was, in fact, just... silence. Deathly quiet that lay heavy in the air as Gene thought about what she had said and the words that formed in his mind. He thought of the woman who was lying beside him staring at the same ceiling he was in the same bad that he was, their rigid body language mirroring each other in one last act of unity and he contemplated if he should say the words that had sprung into his mind. And then he decided that it was no good lying to her any more. It wasn't worth trying to hide the truth from her and it was no good trying to hold back the agony.

'I don't know if I do, Bolls.' His words spilled from his mouth and mingled with the thick quiet that filled the air, playing about both their ears and seeping through the cracks in their barely-held-together relationship. He didn't think that she was going to say anything, her pause was so long, but eventually the softest of whispers came from her and he knew that there was absolutely no going back. No more second chances or superglue that could mend them.

'Me neither'

Together, they lay in the double bed that had felt so lonely to him a of couple months ago. He had spent many a night thinking of her as he drifted off to sleep and then she had done what he never thought possible and come back to him; come to his bed and banished the loneliness that had inhabited it for so long. They had been happy here, letting hours pass by them wrapped in eachother arms as they slept and now here they were once again. They didn't know it, but the same bitter thoughts were racing through their minds that they were both hastily trying to force back and not accept; regret that she had come back. After all, if they had parted when they were supposed to have, wouldn't they have had their precious memories of eachother as they were - feisty, stubborn and thoroughly infuriating yet wanted? Needed? They would have been able to hold onto their arguments and look at them through the rose-tinted glasses that time always seems to provide and they wouldn't have felt the bitter twist of having too much of a good thing. . Perhaps if she had waited for him in the Railway Arms, keeping his drink ice cold for him and sipping on the glass of red Nelson had provided, when his time came he would have walked through the doors to a wave of cheers and headed straight to her, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug that he had saved for her for so long. She would have handed him his drink and clinked their glasses together in a toast to the Guv and, when the welcomes and the hello's had been showered on him by the people who loved him, they would have crept off to the saloon bar he had promised her and share a soft kiss that had been long overdue. And would they not have been happy? Did Heaven have room for bitterness and tensions? They didn't know, and they never would. But there was a lesson they had both learnt the hardest of ways; you cannot play with fate.

_"If, of all words of tongue and pen, _

_The saddest are, "It might have been," _

_More sad are these we daily see: _

_"It is, but hadn't ought to be."_


End file.
